Why don't you do that, talk to the dealer. I'll talk to Racetech directly and see what they say.

atgreg: the setup for the earlier G/S forks is quite different. Whereas the later GS damping rod is hollow and allows oilflow through the center (thus a valve type design to improve), the G/S ones are solid if I remeber correctly, so the normal Racetech GoldValve setup would not work. This is stated from memory as of last winter, I haven't started work on my front end yet.

Anybody else any ideas or contacts?

__________________Some of the above is fact, some is fiction, some is my personal imagination and some is just simple truth. [me]

... i'm not touring around the world, but neither are most of the guys i see running overloaded spam cans ... [bmwblake]Stephen Bottcher
Ontario, Canada

Guys- I will get in contact with the dealer asap for yall. I will find out what needs to be done, or what will be needed to figure out a solution. Please let me know any pertinent information, as my mechanical jargon/vocabulary is highly lacking, and I don't have the technical savvy to make myself not look like an imbecile while trying to explain something that eludes the understanding of my feeble brain.

Hello, guys. Maybe I can help you with Emulators for your GS's & G/S's.
I'm the guy that worked at Cal BMW from 95-00, and did the suspension modifications for many customers bikes. I've recently left the BMW dealership scene, and struck out on my own, doing freelance work out of my home workshop, with an eye towards opening a real shop here in the Reno, NV area.
I recently attended the Racetech Seminars again, to update my knowledge base. It's been nearly ten years since I began working on suspension, already!
What is it you're looking for from Racetech, specifically? Do you just need to buy the parts so that you can install them yourself, or do you want to send your forks to someone and have them modified?
I would be happy to provide the installation service for you, for a modest fee. $100 plus parts & shipping should cover my time spent. You could send me the complete fork for a thorough inspection (the teflon bushings usually show considerable wear by 15-20K), damper rod modification, and careful reassembly. Or if you're willing & able to perform the fork disassembly & reassembly yourself, I can do the damper rod drilling for you, which is the critical part of the job.
I can also straighten slightly bent fork tubes in my hydraulic press, if needed.
If there's enough interest among you, I'm willing to stock parts necessary to do the work with a quick turnaround time. I don't like to wait, either!

Kevin, I've seen articles online that deal with putting a racetech cartridge in a gs fork. But I've a g/s and have yet to see any info on doing these fork. I'd appreciate a basic rundown on what needs to be done. Then we can go from there.

I talked to Kevin Caselli at Cal BMW a few years ago and you are probably the guy he told me he's put me in touch with, though he never did. JT

hello, JT
The Emulator installation process is pretty straightforward. The forks are removed from the bike, oil is drained and springs removed. The damper rod bolt is removed from the bottom of the slider tube, which frees both the slider and the internal damper rod. The damper rod is removed, and extra holes are drilled into it. The fork is then reassembled, with the emulator sitting on top of the damper rod piston. The spring sits on top of the emulator, holding it in place.
Naturally, the fork gets a thorough cleaning & inspection for wear.
If you choose to re-use the original springs, the spacers get shortened by the height of the emulator valve. If you're installing new springs (I've had very good results with Racetech straight-rate springs.), then spacers will be cut to length for the new springs.
The R80 G/S uses a different fork than the R100GS, and uses an emulator valve on both sides, where the R100GS uses an emulator only on the right side. The valve itself is a different part number, due to the different internal diameter of the fork tubes & damper pistons.
Other than the single valve/two valve situation, the basic process for installation is the same for both bikes, and the improved performance is equally noticeable!
Does this help your understanding? I've left out details for clarity, but hopefully this helps.

Kevin, finally somebody is stepping forward to help out. Racetech has not responded yet, but I guess it is the busy part of the year and our request might be in the queue.

I think we are all in agreement about the procedure on the 88-95 R100GS where only one fork needs to be modified. Thanks for offering that service, seems to be a great deal.

As you have explained, the procedure on the 80-87 R08G/S is slightly different. Also both forks need to be modified. I am more of a DIY guy and would be happy to do the work myself if somebody (like yourself) sells the correct valve emulators with installation instructions. Unless there is milling involved or a lathe required I think I can manage. Unless you tell me that location of the additonal holes is so critical that only you can do it.

You message seem to indicate the 80-87 G/S valve emulators are readily available (part no. ???). They don't appear on the application guide though which makes me wonder: is it just not published because it is not Plug 'n Play and needs some modifications of the fork internals?

Stephen

__________________Some of the above is fact, some is fiction, some is my personal imagination and some is just simple truth. [me]

... i'm not touring around the world, but neither are most of the guys i see running overloaded spam cans ... [bmwblake]Stephen Bottcher
Ontario, Canada

Stephen,
If you've got a drill press & vise, drilling the holes in the damper rod isn't difficult. No lathe or mill is required. The hole pattern is specified in the RT instructions that are included with the emulators, and even the pattern itself isn't too critical. The purpose of the extra holes is to allow sufficient oil flow to the emulator itself, which then does the flow-control for compression damping. Rebound damping will be controlled by the oil viscosity, easily changed by draining & refilling the oil.
The emulator that fits the R80GS fork is FEGVS3301. Readily available from Racetech or most bike shops. The RT spring that fits is FRSPS2350XX (the last 2 digits vary with the chosen spring rate, which depends on how heavy the rider is). There does need to be a short spacer fabricated for the emulator to sit upon, on top of the damper piston. A short piece of thin-wall aluminum tube works fine.
Don't be too hard on Racetech, they're a company that's focused on the
high-volume dirtbikes/streetbikes, and have limited experience with our old and/or unusual bikes. They make good products, but just don't know all the uses we put them to.

That totals at $532. Not cheap, but the feeling of control you'll get is worth it. Plus, adjustments to the damping are simplified compared to the original fork. Changing the oil viscosity controls the rebound damping. Just change the oil for a noticeable difference, without affecting the compression damping-that's adjustable by removing the fork springs, pulling out the emulator valves & changing the preload screw adjustment on the valve. Drop the emulators back in, put the fork springs back in & away you go.

I did find out there's two different series of RT springs that will work.
FRSPS2350xx(.85-1.0kg/mm) or FRSPS2643xx(.80-.90)
The diameters/lengths are different, as are the stiffness ranges. So if you're really heavy or really light, you'll want to pay attention to that so that the sag is correct with you on the bike.

for dropping the ball, but in hindsight, it looks like there is no way I could have gotten an answer like Kevin's without actually having forks in hand. You might want to google search the part #'s and find them cheaper at a different company. I ended up getting a set for my GS at about $40 less than RT charges, just an idea.

edit: are the new RT springs that much better than the BMW stock springs? Is it worth having to get new spacers milled? I am a noob in the worst sense, with a club foot for a hand and what seems like a pegleg for a foot, and I am nt having any problems with this project, except perhaps forgetting the orientation of the damping spring. Take the advice that I rarely take, and Keep It Simple